Unions continue to fight for ALL workers. Earlier this year, Las Vegas culinary workers forced Vegas hotels to provide "panic buttons" to hotel room cleaners. The hotels didn't want to do it - instead of saying, that's a GREAT idea, workers deserve to have a safe work environment, they fought it all the way. Luckily, they were forced by threat of strike.

It should have been the FIRST thing agreed to in negotiations, not the last.

Now UNITE/HERE hotel workers are in contract talks with Marriott, now the largest American chain. And it's paying off:

Two months after thousands of Marriott workers across the country took to the streets to call for, among other things, greater workplace safety protections, the hotel company announced Thursday it will provide "panic button" electronic devices to its on-site workers in its 5,000 hotels across the U.S. and Canada.

Marriott is one of a group of major U.S. hotel brands, including the Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental Hotels Group, and Wyndham, who announced Thursday afternoon that they would offer the devices. The Philadelphia Marriott Downtown is the biggest hotel in the city, with 23 floors spanning a full block.

The call for panic buttons, which alert security if a worker feels unsafe, and more housekeeper safety protections started in 2011, when a hotel housekeeper in New York accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn, then the head of the International Monetary Fund, of sexual assault. Since then, hotel workers union Unite Here has lobbied for the devices, and several cities, including Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Seattle, have passed laws requiring the devices. (The workers at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown are currently trying to unionize with Unite Here.)

In May, a group of Marriott housekeepers, including Edith Santos, a longtime housekeeper at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, spoke at the company's annual stakeholders meeting, called on their employer to take action on workplace sexual harassment. Santos, 72, said she and her coworkers were constantly in fear of being harassed or attacked by guests.

In an interview with BuzzFeed News in July, the national president of Unite Here, D. Taylor, said the #MeToo movement made the call for panic buttons more urgent.

Without the power of the unions, and the visibility of their public calls for the panic buttons, the hotel industry has been shamed into doing the right thing to protect their workers.

This is why unions are desperately needed today. Make no mistake, they are the ONLY organization standing up for worker rights. We need more of this!

As a rule, only some major-city hotels are unionized, the ones that are big convention-type hotels. The vast majority of hotels are not unionized, however, UNITE/HERE is working to increase the unionization of hotels.

This is just another example of all workers benefiting from the work of unions, even non-union workers. Unions DO care about the plight of all workers, whether union or not, and we work to advance the interests of all workers.

Marriott is certainly not union-friendly. They do not have a good relationship with the union, and there UNITE/HERE does have concerns that Marriott will attempt to bust the unions.

That Twitter account does seem to be legit, it's the account of a local of the Sheet Metal Workers in Northern California. The account has a link to a similar FB page, and I found a website. The website is VERY minimal, and the Twitter and FB accounts haven't posted for several months.

Why do you say Marriott is 'gay hating.' A quick look online seems to indicate that this is not true.

And, if you dont mind me asking, why are you doing business with an organization you believe practices bigotry? I can understand location, if there are some very limited choices where you need to be...but loyalty reward? (unless 'them' refers to SPG, not Marriott, in which case I misunderstood your comment about where you do business and I apologize.)

I have a friend and an aquaintence working at a Marriott, both immigrants from Asia, one gay. Haven't asked them about how this is affecting them, yeet. But HERE 2 has been working on Marriott for decades.

carmenjonze » Mon Sep 17, 2018 2:51 pm wrote:
I have a friend and an aquaintence working at a Marriott, both immigrants from Asia, one gay. Haven't asked them about how this is affecting them, yeet. But HERE 2 has been working on Marriott for decades.

They might be fair to Gay employees, domt know, if so probably have to. They give 10% or more of their money to a church dedicated to Gay hatred. Basic math to me. And now that they own SPG or Sheraton, I guess I have to find a new place to stay.

If I am wrong, please tell me somebody, it will make my life EASIER if I am wrong.

In N Out gives only to cons is what i hear, that fucks me up too.

Excuse me while I use a BROAD BRUSH to say anyone who spends one minute defending anything rump is just as guilty as he is of all his crimes

Libertas » Mon Sep 17, 2018 3:36 pm wrote:
They might be fair to Gay employees, domt know, if so probably have to. They give 10% or more of their money to a church dedicated to Gay hatred. Basic math to me. And now that they own SPG or Sheraton, I guess I have to find a new place to stay.

If I am wrong, please tell me somebody, it will make my life EASIER if I am wrong.

In N Out gives only to cons is what i hear, that fucks me up too.

I'm betting there are probably tons of LGBTQ employees at Marriotts in the Bay Area. Probably like at Catholic hospitals and the like. Doesn't mean they're fair or great places to work, but a person's got to earn a living.

I dunno...all the name brands are sh#ts when it comes to social issues, in my view. ALL of them, Catholic, Mormon, blathertarian/Silly Conned Valley, grocery chains...all of them.

carmenjonze » Mon Sep 17, 2018 3:56 pm wrote:
I'm betting there are probably tons of LGBTQ employees at Marriotts in the Bay Area. Probably like at Catholic hospitals and the like. Doesn't mean they're fair or great places to work, but a person's got to earn a living.

I dunno...all the name brands are sh#ts when it comes to social issues, in my view. ALL of them, Catholic, Mormon, blathertarian/Silly Conned Valley, grocery chains...all of them.

Exactly, making it hard to do business or exist. That is why when I hear of Google doing something or FB catering to cons it makes me sick.

Excuse me while I use a BROAD BRUSH to say anyone who spends one minute defending anything rump is just as guilty as he is of all his crimes

I dont know Libertas, seems like Marriott is the type of company you should be supporting. Yes, the leadership is Mormon and finds that important. But he is also vocal and visible in support of LGBQT rights and often has a 100 percent rating from the HRC.

Yeah, its probably largely tied to a profit motive....after-all Marriott is also one of the largest liquor sellers in the US, also in opposition to his Church. But then (almost) all businesses are focused on profit (as are almost all employees.)

Its very easy to support something when your community is in lockstep with you. He should be respected for standing up and doing the right thing when he does potentially have something to lose. (I've said it before, we want our leaders to be 100% pure....but no one, no organization, is.)

Viewer » Thu Sep 20, 2018 8:42 am wrote:I dont know Libertas, seems like Marriott is the type of company you should be supporting. Yes, the leadership is Mormon and finds that important. But he is also vocal and visible in support of LGBQT rights and often has a 100 percent rating from the HRC.

Yeah, its probably largely tied to a profit motive....after-all Marriott is also one of the largest liquor sellers in the US, also in opposition to his Church. But then (almost) all businesses are focused on profit (as are almost all employees.)

Its very easy to support something when your community is in lockstep with you. He should be respected for standing up and doing the right thing when he does potentially have something to lose. (I've said it before, we want our leaders to be 100% pure....but no one, no organization, is.)

The Mormon church sells a lot of liquor. Their state seemly was created to sell liquor. Highways were built there to carry Mormons from their town to their neighboring town so they could buy their liquor at the state run liquor store. Clean stores where prices are quite reasonable and stocks are well maintained.

Viewer » Thu Sep 20, 2018 8:42 am wrote:I dont know Libertas, seems like Marriott is the type of company you should be supporting. Yes, the leadership is Mormon and finds that important. But he is also vocal and visible in support of LGBQT rights and often has a 100 percent rating from the HRC.

Yeah, its probably largely tied to a profit motive....after-all Marriott is also one of the largest liquor sellers in the US, also in opposition to his Church. But then (almost) all businesses are focused on profit (as are almost all employees.)

Its very easy to support something when your community is in lockstep with you. He should be respected for standing up and doing the right thing when he does potentially have something to lose. (I've said it before, we want our leaders to be 100% pure....but no one, no organization, is.)

Nah, we don't have to be grateful to Mormons, or respect them. This isn't about purity; their institutions don't respect us and seek to make discriminatory laws against us. It's impossible to respect that.

carmenjonze » Thu Sep 20, 2018 2:30 pm wrote:
Nah, we don't have to be grateful to Mormons, or respect them. This isn't about purity; their institutions don't respect us and seek to make discriminatory laws against us. It's impossible to respect that.

Yeah, that.

Excuse me while I use a BROAD BRUSH to say anyone who spends one minute defending anything rump is just as guilty as he is of all his crimes

carmenjonze » Thu Sep 20, 2018 4:30 pm wrote:Nah, we don't have to be grateful to Mormons, or respect them. This isn't about purity; their institutions don't respect us and seek to make discriminatory laws against us. It's impossible to respect that.

Its not about that at all. Its about recognizing Marriott who apparently, is openly, visibly and vocally challenging those positions within his church. That's much more difficult than, say, someone who only takes the stand that's popular with his friends and neighbors. It's easy to take a stand on the RFL Board. Its another to have put his company, and his family, in the forefront of a challenge. (As always its much easier when you are rich, of course.)

BTW, this mornings news is that the unions have come to an agreement with Marriott.

Sam Lefthand » Fri Sep 21, 2018 9:42 am wrote:One thing I've learned about labor disputes is don't become too invested in the evilness of some individual company because sometimes those things do get settled.

Union and company come to an agreement, and then, the very next day they're fine and dandy alright.

It's pretty easy transition to make if I don't get too invested in the evilness of them up front.

Viewer » Fri Sep 21, 2018 9:21 am wrote:Its not about that at all. Its about recognizing Marriott who apparently, is openly, visibly and vocally challenging those positions within his church. That's much more difficult than, say, someone who only takes the stand that's popular with his friends and neighbors. It's easy to take a stand on the RFL Board. Its another to have put his company, and his family, in the forefront of a challenge. (As always its much easier when you are rich, of course.)

BTW, this mornings news is that the unions have come to an agreement with Marriott.

Viewer » Fri Sep 21, 2018 3:10 pm wrote:Yeah...I said they reached an agreement with Marriott. That's should be the leading agreement which hopefully others will follow.

Just like reaching an agreement with one automaker doesnt guarantee an agreement with others.

They have made a deal in one city, no more. UNITE HERE has a website, Marriott Travel Alert, which denotes other Marriott hotels across the nation that have NOT came to an agreement with Marriott.

According to my information from folks within that union, Marriott is seen as virulently anti-labor and ultimately plans to attempt to bust the union.

As for Marriott and their political views - it's obvious that Marriott leaders worship money far more than they worship their religion. They've always served liquor, and back before the internet, they sold porn on their in-room movie TV systems. These days publicly they support gay rights, but they way they do it sure seems to be self-serving so as not to lose business. They tout diversity in hiring, again, so they can fight discrimination lawsuits.

I don't think Marriott themselves has donated to anti-gay causes, but I've heard they've forced management personnel to donate to anti-gay causes, and you can probably find that the leadership gives lots of money to such causes.

more than month-long strike by Westin San Diego Gaslamp workers will deliver a 40 percent pay hike for hotel housekeepers, stronger protections for sexual harassment and a first-time pension.

Details of the new four-year contract were made public Tuesday following the end this week of the last of the hotel walkouts that had targeted Marriott International properties involving 7,700 workers across eight cities in the U.S.

The Unite Here labor union representing the workers had agreed to not divulge terms of the individual contracts until all strikes were settled. The last of those was in San Francisco where 2,500 workers had been on strike for more than 60 days. They are returning to work on Wednesday now that they have approved a new contract.

The San Diego strike, which marked the first hotel walkout in the county since 2000, when workers at the Hotel del Coronado struck for one day, ended in early November

The financial terms of the agreements negotiated in each of the affected cities varies based on their respective economic demographics. In San Diego, hotel housekeepers, who tend to be among the lowest paid workers and represent the largest of more than two dozen different union job classifications at the Westin, had been earning $14.25 an hour, significantly below their peers at other San Diego union hotels.

The Westin’s 162 workers represented by Unite Here had been without a new contract since April of last year

With the new agreement, their pay will jump to $18 an hour next July and will increase a few times more until 2022 when hourly wages will reach $20, said Rick Bates, research analyst for Unite Here Local 30. By comparison, housekeepers at the Hotel del Coronado, also a union property, currently earn $18 an hour, and at the San Diego Hilton Bayfront, the hourly pay is $17.35.